When a person doesn't have gratitude, something is missing in

The words of Elie Wiesel, “When a person doesn’t have gratitude, something is missing in his or her humanity,” strike with the authority of one who knew both the depths of suffering and the heights of wisdom. Wiesel, a survivor of the Holocaust, spoke not from theory but from the ashes of history. For him, gratitude was not a luxury but a necessity, a force that preserved the soul in the midst of horror. His words reveal that to be human is not only to breathe and to walk, but to recognize, to honor, and to give thanks for life itself. Without gratitude, one’s humanity is diminished, hollowed, incomplete.

To be without gratitude is to become blind to the miracle of existence. A person may eat, drink, speak, and move, yet if they fail to recognize the gift of these things, they walk as shadows rather than as living souls. The ancients understood this truth. Cicero declared that gratitude was not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all others. For when the heart is ungrateful, it becomes incapable of compassion, humility, or joy. Gratitude is the root; without it, humanity withers.

Wiesel’s life is proof of the power of gratitude. After enduring the unspeakable cruelty of Auschwitz and Buchenwald, he emerged not filled with hatred, but with a resolve to bear witness and to cherish life. He often spoke of the miracle of surviving each day, of seeing another dawn, of meeting kindness after such darkness. For him, gratitude was an act of defiance against despair, a way to affirm his humanity in a world that had tried to strip it away. His words remind us that even in suffering, gratitude sustains what is most sacred in us.

History gives us other examples of this truth. Consider Nelson Mandela, who after twenty-seven years in prison emerged without bitterness, but with thankfulness for freedom and the opportunity to lead his people toward reconciliation. He could have chosen anger, yet he chose gratitude — for life, for resilience, for the chance to begin anew. This gratitude became the foundation of his leadership, uniting a nation that could easily have fallen into vengeance. Wiesel’s wisdom echoes here: gratitude is not weakness, but the strength that preserves humanity in the face of cruelty.

The phrase “something is missing in his or her humanity” warns us that ingratitude is more than impoliteness; it is a wound upon the soul. An ungrateful person cannot fully experience love, for they will overlook it; cannot fully taste joy, for they will dismiss it; cannot fully honor others, for they will take them for granted. Ingratitude hollows the heart, making life seem empty even when it is full. Gratitude, by contrast, fills the heart with awareness of blessing, binding us to others and to the divine.

The lesson is clear: gratitude is not optional; it is essential to being fully human. Without it, we become cold, detached, and self-absorbed. With it, we awaken to the beauty around us and honor those who walk beside us. Wiesel, who witnessed humanity at its worst, teaches us that gratitude is the flame that keeps humanity alive, even when all else collapses. To live without it is to diminish our essence; to live with it is to magnify the sacred gift of life.

As practical action, let each of us cultivate gratitude daily. Begin each morning by naming aloud the gifts you already possess: breath, shelter, friendship, memory. At night, recall the mercies of the day, however small. Speak your thanks to others, and let them know their presence matters. In this way, gratitude ceases to be an abstract idea and becomes the rhythm of your life. And in living this way, you will not only preserve your own humanity but restore it in others.

Thus, Elie Wiesel’s words endure as a commandment to all generations: gratitude is the essence of humanity. Without it, we are incomplete. With it, even in darkness, the human spirit can shine. Let us, therefore, be a people of gratitude, so that our humanity may be whole, and our lives radiant with meaning.